Responsibilities Thrust Upon Her
by Impress-the-Empress
Summary: With her father's passing, Kagome immediately finds herself the face of a rebellion in the Southern Lands. As time passes, her leadership encourages an alliance with the West where Kagome chances upon a Shikon Jewel shard, the ticket to a time 500 years in the future.
1. Devotion

_Always have been an Inuyasha and Fanfiction fan and I am trying to improve my writing, so I thought why not write stories again! My last fanfiction was written years ago. Critiques always welcome. Help me improve! Hope you enjoy! -Impress-the-Empress_

**Responsibilities Thrust Upon Her: Devotion  
**

At times, Kagome gravely yearned for simplicity; for a life with a chosen husband, he would be a loving man of course, and beautiful kids living in a small serene village on the outskirts of a dense, stunning forest. Around their home, there would be wildlife frolicking here and there singing songs to the moon and the sun or to whomever they wished. Sometimes the animals would visit Kagome and her family, other times they would not, but all that would matter in this simple dream was who was responsible for the family dog.

At times like those where her desire for easy life welled deep in her heart, reality forever interrupted, reminding Kagome that such simplicity would never last eternally, for conflict and resolutions, ups and downs, twists and turns all are components of life; negatives would always accompany positives no matter which path she walked.

So Kagome stood tall in her makeshift leather armor, and as she rallied her late father's rebels, preached of equality and fairness, and named each and every offense the Southern Ruler committed against the Southern people. She spoke clear as her purification powers raised, reinforcing the rebels' faith in her strength and in her passion for their shared cause.

As time went on, and as the last hum of her purification quieted along with her rebel's thunderous howls of agreement and the banging of steel on steel, Kagome decided that if she actually had a choice, she would rather live her life as she was, as a rebel, than live as a wife on the forest's edge. These were not caring times for children in the South anyway and what's life without standing for what you believe in.


	2. Right and Wrong

_Let me know if anything is confusing, hope not, but improvements can always be made! Thanks for reading and your interest! -Impress-The-Empress_

**Responsibilities Thrust Upon Her:** **Right and Wrong**

Living with her father, as a child up until the year of his passing, taught Kagome various lessons, some small while others significant. At this moment, as Kagome rolled to the left and crashed into an age-old tree with lifeless brown leaves, clumsily dodging the hard right handed hook of her rat youkai opponent, Kagome truly thanked her father for teaching her how to read auras. She watched as the rodent youkai's aura danced closely around him, angry and black as the color of his wild hair. Before her eyes, the rat youkai's aura curled in on itself, centering the majority of the youkai's power in his shoulders as he hunched over and widened his legs, preparing to tackle Kagome with all his strength. His face scrunched and his eyes burned with anger as he did so, physically mimicking the fierceness of his aura. Kagome did not have to look to feel the hatred in his beady eyed stare. She could taste his animosity on the very air she breathed.

There was an explosion of hot air as the rat youkai was hit on his back by a blast of fire launched by a rebel fire youkai and though the rat youkai shouted harsh obscenities, he didn't shift his stance nor did he take his eyes off Kagome.

"Don't worry about me," Kagome yelled to her comrade, the fire youkai. The fire youkai quickly nodded then ran away only to blend in with the numerous warriors fighting either for or against the Southern ruler.

Kagome was left alone to deal with the rat youkai who then clenched his hands tightly until his small claws cut into his grey skin and drops of blood dripped down his bony fingers.

In that moment, Kagome did not see her life nor did she see the images of her loved ones flash before her eyes as she had once thought would happen when life took a dangerous turn as it did now.

No, when Kagome's gaze met the rat youkai's frightening stare she did not reminisce, but she wondered. She wondered, in this brief moment of standstill, what caused the rat to embrace such hatred? What lead him to fight for the Southern ruler? There was always a cause behind the effect and a reason behind the action. Were his motivations for fighting justified or were they unjustified, ignorant and illogical? Kagome and her rebels, human and youkai, had lost much to the Southern ruler. Land claimed generations ago and land which was a means to riches with its iron and jewels, food and shelter, was taken from them and distributed to select others by the Southern ruler. The rebels' children were forcefully taken to serve as warriors in the Southern army. Southern people were purposely being scattered and pushed into poverty. For these reasons, Kagome felt she and her rebels were justified to fight. If this rat knew her side, why would he fight for the Southern ruler and with such passion?

Kagome didn't know. Miko or not, she wasn't all-knowing. She could not explain why others chose certain paths; she simply knew why she chose hers.

Kagome quickly stood from her seat on the dry, barren floor of the battlefield. Then she stretched her arm and widened her palm in the direction of the rat youkai and the numerous members of the Southern army at his back. Seconds later when the rat youkai rushed toward her, his body a blur but his aura clear as day, Kagome purified the rat and six others behind him until all that was left of her foes was ash. As another opponent took the rat youkai's place and others filed in right behind him, Kagome concluded that it did not matter that she was unaware of the reasons behind the actions or the causes initiating the effects, because this war was not a clash of right and wrong and she was not a judge. This war was a conflict of life and death. She and her rebels would live.


	3. Unease

_Thought maybe I should mention this: I do not own Inuyasha. Reviews welcome - ImpresstheEmpress_

"Posture, my girl."

Kagome's head snapped upright to meet her advisor's gaze, an agile older priestess with an eye patch covering her right eye. The older women sat next to Kagome in a sturdy, red wood table with her hands resting on the matching round, red wood table.

"How do you expect the people to listen," Kaede went on, "if ye have no confidence in ye self or ye words."

"I know, Kaede." Kagome said though her head lowered slowly until it rested on her open palm and as her back hunched until her elbow rested on the table.

Kagome's gaze fell from Kaede's frowning face.

"Your rebels' representatives will enter the room soon, Kagome. This gathering will not bode well should they feel their leader is neither concerned nor interested in their words."

"I hear you, Kaede."

Kaede hummed in acknowledgement and turned her gaze toward the grand, wooden closed doors separating both her and Kagome from the outside world. Kaede would wait for Kagome to speak her mind or to spill her beans as Kagome, herself, often put it. Kaede was a patient woman.

After a brief moment, Kagome began, "I feel as if the world is on my shoulders."

Kaede hummed again. "As do we all, child. We all take great risks with this rebellion but go on," Kaede said.

Kagome threw her body back till it hit the back of her seat, her arms flailed to their respective sides in the process as she huffed in annoyance. In some ways, she was still a child despite her 21 years. It was a minute before Kagome spoke again.

"We've won the eastern side of the Southern Coast," she said.

"Yes, the calm section of the coast, perfect for trade and shipment of goods. It would near impossible for the Southern Ruler to trade jewels, food, or any cargo by land or sea now. We have humans and youkai roaming the land and our army guarding the sea!" Kaede replied.

Kagome closed her eyes. "Yes," she said, "we have formidable forces on land and sea but our numbers cannot compare to those of the Southern Army." Kagome looked to Kaede almost as if she was defeated.

"We have farmers, villagers fighting battles and spying but many have been killed for it. They are neither trained soldiers nor are they skilled assassins like those in the Southern Ruler's army."

"And ye are but a travelling miko taking up her father's work. It is often the least likely that are destined to win the match. Nevertheless, the South's lord is quite skilled with illusions. Perhaps his soldiers are influenced by the fox youkai's spells; their loyalty nothing but a mirage. We are truly dedicated to this cause, Kagome. Do not doubt our abilities." Kaede answered.

Multiple sets of feet walking faintly padded not far behind the closed doors. Kagome sat upright in her chair. She and Kaede then removed their hands from the table and laid them on their laps, smoothing the fabric of their finest clothes along the way.

Quietly Kagome spoke again, "The Southern Ruler is greedy."

Kaede's jaw clenched and her brow's furrowed as she nodded and whispered, "Yes, yes he is."

Both Kagome and Kaede looked away from each other and looked toward the door once more. The footsteps were quickly approaching.

"Then tell me why would he allow us to even step foot on the calm coast? It is rich with mines, rich with trade! It is valuable, profitable land! Why has the fox not yet thrown his largest units this way? We've been here nearly a month! He simply lets us take the South's most precious treasure." Kagome harshly whispered back.

She waited a moment but Kaede did not speak but the footsteps stopped and a knock sounded.

"He is not simply underestimating or overlooking us anymore, Kaede." Kagome hastily and quietly said. "We have taken too much from him to still be considered child's play. There is a plan we need to foil quickly before we are all dependent on his non-existent mercy."

Another knock filled the room as Kagome smoothed her bluish black flyaway hairs which escaped the intricate bun the rest of her hair was styled into.

"Come in!" Kagome proudly exclaimed and the four rebel representatives trotted into the room, each one dressed more gaudy than the last.


End file.
